Clicking / Thumping from front end
 

Ive got an '00 jimmy 4x4. 120k miles

All of my ball joints (upper/lower both sides) were replaced recently. About a month after they were replaced I started to get a thumping noise when turning at low speed. The noise is intermittent.

I also get a click noise also occurs when i first hit the gas to accelerate from a stop but I'm pretty sure it is not brake related. This is also intermittent.

I double checked the ball joints and they seem fine, the wheel does not move "in or out" when i grab the top and bottom of the wheel (when the truck is jacked up).

I have a good amount of play in the steering wheel, so i was thinking it could be the pitman arm or tierod ends? Possibly control arm bushings? Just wondering if you guys have any diagnosis tips or have had any experience with similar symptoms

Thanks in advance for any help.

Sounds like it could possibly be one of the CV shafts. When they begin to go you will here it most on turns. Do the boots on both CV shafts look to be intact? Usually (But not always), a torn boot allows the grease packing to break down, leading to CV failure. Just a thought

Try going to a parking lot and do very tight right and left circles. A bad CV will go click, click, click, click, click...

Does this sound seem to be coming from the front end as well or more middle/back? This sounds like u-joint failure to me.

check to make sure that the bolts on the ball joints are still tight, i have seen them come loose after being replaced and also check torsion bar mounts back by the cross member for the tranny that will give you a clunk and the noise can travel through

This is unlikely, the driver's side half shaft is about a month old and the passenger's looks like its in good shape.

it is definitely a front end noise, and I checked the drive shaft, it seems ok

Similar problem here with a '99 4door 4WD.

Had a "thump" when I was backing up out of parking places. As soon as I turned the wheel all the way to the left, I would hear and feel a loud "thump" from the right front end. Did the same on the other side when turning the wheel all the way to the right.

I figured the ball joints were screwed and replaced all of them.

Problem went away for a day and then came back worse then ever. I checked, double checked and triple checked all the bolts, castle nuts, etc. and the ball joints are GTG.

It only happens in tight turns at lower speeds. sometimes with multiple smaller thumps, but just for a second and then no more. No click click click, or other noise really.

The CV boots are all GTG as well.

Anybody got any good ideas?

Well then you should be able to see/feel movement in your carrier and pitman arms by manually moving the components. In my experience tie-rod ends are more difficult to diagnose as sometimes the movement can be undetectable. Control arm bushings? Could the adjusters be split?

To the OP, the only clicking noise I know of coming from the front end is a CV joint on it's way out.

To Grump, sounds like your tbar bushings are worn out.